Jesus, Our Salvation in the Storm

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

-Mark 4:37-40

When I first mentioned to my friends and family that we were moving to the Gulf Coast, many times the response was, “they get hurricanes there!” Ok, I’m pretty sure I knew that having visited the coast many times in the last few years and seeing remnants of past storms and seeing numerous hurricanes effects reported in the news media. So, what happens? One week after moving here, the first (and hopefully last) hurricane of the 2026 season forms in the gulf. Welcome Isaias!

As I write this, the Isaias is projected to come ashore near the Alabama/Mississippi border. We will still see some of the effects of it, but it is not as bad as initially forecasted for my area. Still, we prepare. We have supplies if we lose power, batteries for lanterns and flashlights, chargers for cell phones, and loose items stored in the garage. We are ready.

Jesus and His disciples experienced storms. One instance after teaching a large crowd, they all got into a boat and set sail. While crossing the sea, a great storm engulfed them. Jesus was exhausted and sleeping in the stern. The storm was so intense that the boat began to sink. The disciples panicked! They woke Jesus and begged him to save them. Jesus spoke three words, “Peace! Be still!” That’s all it took. The storm subsided, the wind stopped blowing and everything calmed. Jesus quieted the disciples asking them why they were so afraid. Jesus is like that. He took on our sin and defeated death and the grave. He is our calm in life’s storms

I find it interesting that my first in-person experience with a hurricane in named “Isaias”. It is Spanish for “Isaiah”. In Hebrew, “Yeshayahu”; meaning, “Yahweh is salvation" or "God is my salvation." Jesus is our salvation in the storm and at always!

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!  -Psalm 34:3

Stop by for a Cup of Coffee!

 

 

 

The Promise of Goodbye

 A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”  

-John 16:16

Please pardon my absence. This past couple of weeks I have completely packed up my home and moved 600+ miles to a new home. Needless to say, it’s been quite the experience. Gathering boxes, going through everything you have, getting rid of things you don’t need or feel like packing, it’s a lot of work. I’ve moved several times in my life but never as far as this. It’s a fresh start! You say goodbyes and think about things that you are going to do for the last time. I do believe that goodbyes come with a promise. Goodbye is a departing and well-wishing, but I also think that the promise is that you will see the other person again.

Jesus made that same promise. He told His disciples He was going to leave them but after awhile He would come back. He died on the cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and rose victoriously on the first Easter! His goodbye was temporary. He live forever and as He promises, will return again. In this sense, He gave us the ultimate promise as He says in Matthew 28:20, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I think there is a word in the Hawaiian language that says this well, “Aloha!”

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! -Psalm 34:3

 Dining with Sinners

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” -Luke 15:1-2

Agree to disagree. I am offended. We don’t see eye to eye. It’s ok to have an opinion as long as you agree with me.

Does all this sound familiar? This rhetoric is all over the news channels. We are inundated on social media. We live in a wounded and broken world. We face problems on a scale we have never experienced before. People are hurting. We are facing a serious shortage of kindness towards one another.

Or maybe this isn’t something new. People even grumbled and aired their opinion about Jesus and who he chose to hang out with. In fact, He even welcomed sinners to His table and ate dinner with them. The nerve! Didn’t He know that that went against social convention? You just didn’t do that!

Praise God that He did; still does! Those very sinners are no one but ourselves. We too are called to the table and have the great privilege of dining with the Savior. He came to do that very thing. His example of grace for those that didn’t agree with Him points out to us that we should be doing the very same. We need to show grace and humility towards those we encounter, even if they don’t agree with us! Now more than ever. Take the time to understand others and where they are coming from. Pray for them, show grace and kindness. I’ve heard it said recently that we are all in the same storm but not on the same boat. What boat are you in?

In a world full of choices, choose kindness!

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! -Psalm 34:3

 

 

Reflections on 9/11

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

-Matthew 5:3-11

It’s been 25 years. It still seems like yesterday. Where were you when you heard about the towers falling? Where were you when you heard about our nation’s capital being under attack? Where were you when you heard about ordinary heroes giving their lives on Flight 93 to stop even more death and destruction? I say again, it’s been 25 years. Do we remember how we all came together in the following days to support and care for one another? I ask these questions because I do remember and I will never forget.

Where was I on September 11, 2001 at 7:46am? I was the shift commander working the day watch at the University of Iowa. I just rounded the corner of Melrose Ave and Mormon Trek Blvd in Iowa City when I heard the news from NYC. Being the history buff that I am, when I heard a plane had flown into the World Trade Center, I thought it had to be an accident like when the B-52 bomber hit the Empire State Building in 1945. Then the second tower was hit. I knew then something was deadly wrong.

The day continued with reports of the Pentagon being attacked and then another plane crashing in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. What was going to happen next? Reports came in from every source saying there were rumors of more attacks. What started out as an ordinary September day would change our lives forever. There are many days present and in the past that changed the course of history. September 11, 2001 was certainly one of those days.

When sin was brought into the world, everting changed. We became separated from God and His paradise but that was not the end of the story. God had a plan! He sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem us and reunite us with Him. Jesus paid our price and through Him we are again able to enter His paradise and be with Him forever. We still have many struggles in this life but as the text states, we have many blessings through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. As the old hymn says, “Because He lives, I can live forever!” We know that we are a part of God’s plan and He cares for us. He never leaves us!

One final thought. Recently, as a part of my job at high school, I was supporting students in a US History class. The topic was the events of 9/11. The realization struck me that these students were not yet born when all this happened. I would liken it to my experience with Pearl Harbor. It was something we heard about in history class. They cannot know the impact it had on our lives without us sharing our experiences of that day. It’s like that with Jesus also. Think about it for a minute. The next generation cannot know about Jesus without us sharing what He has done for us. We can’t keep it to ourselves.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!  -Psalm 34:3

Coyotes and Sheepdogs

Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. -Jeremiah 23:3

Are you a fan of Saturday morning cartoons? I grew up watching Looney Tunes every Saturday morning without fail. One of my favorite episodes involves Wile E Coyote and Ralph the Sheepdog. The beginning of the cartoon shows Wile E and Ralph clocking in for the day to their respective jobs. Wile E’s job is to try and steal sheep from the flock that is guarded by Ralph. Wile E is always looking for the sheep that has wandered from the flock. As you may surmise, Wile E is not very successful in his endeavors and Ralph keeps the flock safe. Ralph cares for the sheep in his charge.

During Jeremiah’s time, there were many careless shepherds. They were evil and destroyed their flocks. The flocks were scattered and had no protection. God removed the careless shepherds and appointed new ones that cared and tended to them, to us. He sent Jesus to gather us into His flock and under His protection. We no longer need to fear the Wile E’s of the world. Jesus is our Good Shepherd.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! -Psalm 34:3

Listen

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” -1 Kings 19:11-13

Do we really listen to each other these days or do we get lost in all the noise and clutter that surrounds us? What gets our attention? I’ve heard it said that the “squeaky wheel” gets the most grease or in other words the things that are the loudest or most annoying get our attention. Ever have a battery go out in a smoke detector at 2am? We tend to gravitate to that thing or behavior that grabs our attention and ignore the lesser which may be more important. We don’t listen to what is actually going on and try to address the symptoms and not the cause.

Elijah was experiencing that very thing. He was fleeing from Jezebal after God disposed of several of her followers. He was afraid and was actually fleeing from God as he did not trust that God would protect him. He had given up and pleaded with God to let him die. God even sent an angel to comfort and strengthen him. Finally, after a journey of 40 days and nights, he came to Mount Horab and hid in a cave. When God inquired why he was still hiding, Elijah still did not trust God. So God spoke directly to Elijah but not in a way one would expect. There was a great wind, an earthquake and even a fire but God was not in any of these. He spoke to Elijah in a low whisper. How difficult would it have been to hear God with all that other noise all around. Elijah would have had to really listen to hear what God had to say.

In this demanding world we live in, there are many things calling for our attention. Listen for the whispers and hear what is really important. God is speaking to us all the time. He never leaves us to face the world alone.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!  -Psalm 34:3

 

Hidden Treasure

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  -Matthew 13:44

I like to go treasure hunting. No, I don’t mean pirate’s treasure or treasure chests buried on some lonely desert island. I like to go to thrift shops. Some of the things I’ve found are some really nice items of clothing, old beanie babies that I can use to comfort a student in crisis and other assorted odds and ends. One of my favorite items to search for are old vinal records. Yes, vinal records. In this era of steaming music services, there is still a place in my world for hearing an actual record played on a record player. In a recent excursion to my favorite thrift store, I came across several records containing songs by Nat King Cole. I am listening to one of these records as I am writing this. If you don’t know who Nat King Cole is, we need to talk.

Matthew chapter 13 records many parables that Jesus shared including the one I shared with this article. In these parables, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to many different things. In the text, He compares it to finding a hidden treasure. The person finding this treasure sells all he has in order to possess it. For us, the kingdom of heaven has already been purchased by the blood of Jesus. He is our hidden treasure that we cannot keep hidden. His treasure contains the living water in which when we drink of it we will never thirst and we are heirs of the kingdom.

Got to go. Time to flip the record!

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! -Psalm 34:3